Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 1670: RESCUER initiative; recognize importance of voluntary community based resource recovery efforts; encourage counties to explore voluntary resource recovery programs
Last action March 25, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported
A Georgia House resolution would encourage counties and cities to explore voluntary, digital platform based programs that connect local residents, food banks, and retailers to share edible food and reduce waste.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This resolution highlights what it calls the RESCUER initiative (Georgia Resource Exchange and Sharing for Community Uplift and Emergency Resilience), a concept for voluntary, community based food sharing. It notes that communities often throw away edible food while some residents face food insecurity, and says digital platforms could connect local residents, food banks, restaurants, and grocery stores to share food within a community. The resolution does not create any new law, program, or funding. It simply has the House of Representatives recognize the value of these voluntary efforts and encourage Georgia's counties and municipal corporations to look into setting up similar voluntary resource recovery programs on their own. It also directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to counties and cities across the state.
What the bill does
- Formally recognizes the importance of voluntary, community based food recovery efforts described as the RESCUER initiative.
- Encourages (but does not require) counties and municipal corporations in Georgia to explore voluntary resource recovery programs using digital platforms.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to counties and municipal corporations statewide.
- Creates no new legal requirements, funding, agency, or enforcement mechanism; it is a statement of support rather than a binding law.
Who it affects
Georgia counties and municipal corporations, which are encouraged to consider voluntary food sharing programs, along with food banks, restaurants, grocery stores, and other retailers that might participate in such community based digital food sharing efforts, plus residents facing food insecurity.
Why it matters
Because this is a resolution rather than a law, it changes nothing directly, but it signals House support for local governments experimenting with digital tools to reduce food waste and connect surplus food from stores and restaurants with residents who need it.
Key provisions
- The whereas clauses describe the RESCUER initiative as a concept for voluntary, digital platform based food sharing connecting residents, food banks, restaurants, and retailers.
- The resolving clause has the House recognize the initiative's importance and encourage counties and municipal corporations to explore similar voluntary programs.
- A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to counties and municipal corporations in Georgia.
- The resolution contains no funding appropriation, mandate, deadline, or enforcement provision.
From the bill
“communities across Georgia regularly discard edible food while individuals and families within those same communities may experience food insecurity”
“encouraging counties and municipal corporations in this state to explore voluntary resource recovery programs utilizing digital platforms to facilitate food sharing within local communities”
Discussed in meetings (7)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House floor session, March 18, 2026 (legislative day 33)
From 0:47:48 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (House Second Readers)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The clerk gave HR 1670 a second reading, describing it as recognizing voluntary community resource recovery through the RESCUER initiative. Later, the sponsor requested moving it from Special Rules to Technology and Infrastructure, saying both committee chairs agreed. The House approved the transfer without objection.
House Technology and Infrastructure Innovation Committee, March 19, 2026
From 0:08:57 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HR 1670 would encourage municipalities to voluntarily establish digital food-sharing networks, allowing restaurants, cooperatives and other organizations to announce available food so people in need could find it. The sponsor described a student's experience finding a classmate taking food from the garbage as the inspiration. The sponsor reported support from the Georgia Municipal Association and ACCG, along with interest from the Spelman Georgia Women's Policy Institute. There were no questions. The chair said this was the first hearing and that the resolution would receive another hearing. No vote was taken.
House Technology and Infrastructure Innovation Committee, March 24, 2026
From 0:24:57 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described HR 1670 as encouraging municipalities and counties to use digital platforms to share food, presenting it as an innovative way to address hunger. There were no questions or discussion. The committee approved the resolution by voice vote, with no opposition heard.
House Rules Committee, March 27, 2026
From 0:27:41 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor described HR 1670 as the Georgia Rescuer Initiative, encouraging municipalities and counties to use a digital platform to share food and address food waste, hunger and food insecurity. The chair allowed the presentation while explaining that resolutions were generally planned for consideration Tuesday. There were no questions or action on the resolution.
Senate Rules Committee, March 30, 2026
From 0:52:36 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: A legislator asked to present HR 1670, identifying it as a resource recovery initiative and saying it had been presented in Rules previously. The chair said it was not before Senate Rules or on the Senate general calendar. After clarification that the earlier presentation had been in House Rules, the chair directed the presenter back there. No Senate action was taken.
House Rules Committee, April 2, 2026
From 0:38:43 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HR 1670 on the day's supplemental calendar after a motion and second. The chair asked for opposition, and none was recorded. No presentation or substantive discussion occurred.
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Segun Adeyina (D, HD-110)
- Todd Jones (R, HD-25)
- Brad Thomas (R, HD-21)
- Dar'shun Kendrick (D, HD-95)
- Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
- Long Tran (D, HD-80)
Topics
- food waste
- food insecurity
- local government
- community programs